SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the July 12 episode of “The Bachelorette.” “The Bachelorette’s” Katie Thurston kicked off the week’s episode of the ABC reality dating competition with a challenge for her men: “W.O.W.O” — a week off whacking off. The challenge was born out of a conversation with
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Kyle Massey in Washington after the former Disney star missed his court date on Monday morning. According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Massey was due in court at 8:30 a.m. on Monday to be arraigned on a charge of immoral communication with a minor.
That escalated quickly. In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an extra $30 million for the state’s film and TV tax credit program. Not to be outdone, the Legislature offered $180 million over two years. Now the two sides have reached a compromise: $330 million. That includes the $180 million, plus a brand-new $150 million tax
Olivia Rodrigo isn’t budging… or at least, she never seems to for long. Although the teen singer does get tossed out of the top spot of either the album chart or songs chart on occasion, she invariably returns to conquer one or, as in the case of this week, both. Her “Good 4 U” continues
Netflix has ordered a six-part anthology “Blackout,” to be produced by the Obamas’ Higher Ground banner and Temple Hill. The project is designed to will tell six different stories of Black teenagers who find love during a power outage in New York City. Each installment will be penned by a different writer. The project is
Charlie Robinson, known for playing Mac the court clerk in the 1980s and ’90s sitcom “Night Court,” died on Sunday in Los Angeles due to cardiac arrest and cancer. He was 75. Throughout his 50-year career, Robinson appeared in movies such as “Secret Santa,” “The River,” “Set It Off,” “Antwone Fisher,” “Jackson,” “Even Money” and
Sharon Stone will host the 27th annual amfAR Cannes Gala on July 16. The gala will take place outdoors at Villa Eilenroc and consist of an exclusive dinner, auction, multiple performances and a fashion show curated by French fashion editor Carine Roitfeld. Simon de Pury and Sandra Nedvedskaia will conduct the live auction, which will
Kirill Serebrennikov made an appearance by FaceTime on Monday after the premiere of “Petrov’s Flu,” which bowed in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The 51-year-old helmer is banned from leaving Russia and was unable to attend the opening. “I would like to thank everyone who is here. This is the first time that I
Netflix and Gold House have created a partnership called “Netflix Gold” to amplify API stories, artists, and creators. The partnership marks an evolution for the nonprofit collective of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) cultural leaders behind Gold House. By expanding their support beyond films for Asian audiences, Gold House will work closely with Netflix to amplify
Richard Foster has been promoted to vice president, marketing at Epic Records, it was announced by Dave Bell, executive VP and head of marketing, to whom Foster reports. The New York-based Foster, who joined the Sony Music label in July 2019, is tasked with all digital marketing initiatives including podcasts, website design and data analysis,
Theaters and cinemas in the U.K. are rejoicing as the British government confirmed it is going ahead with plans to drop all social distancing measures from July 19, nicknamed “Freedom Day.” Health Secretary Sajid Javid said today almost all pandemic-induced legal restrictions will be removed although he recommended that people continue to wear masks indoors.
Investment firm Forest Road Co. has enlisted Hollywood’s largest talent agencies CAA, UTA and WME to help launch the NFT sales venture Notables. Notables is designed to serve as both a creator of NFTs and as an online sales platform for the “non-fungible tokens” offered up for auction as unique digital items often aimed at
Having known Britney Spears for more than 20 years, and witnessed an at-times worrying team grow around her, 98 Degrees member Jeff Timmons is showing support for his friend amid her conservatorship battle by hosting ‘Free Britney Radio,’ a pop-up radio station which will take over stations in more than 50 markets — including San
Showtime has picked up the half-hour comedy series “I Love This For You,” based on former “Saturday Night Live” star Vanessa Bayer’s own story of overcoming childhood leukemia. Bayer co-created the series and will executive producer and star in it. Fellow “SNL” alum Molly Shannon will also star, while Cybill Shepherd, who had originally signed
Director, writer and producer Roman Coppola is in Cannes to promote his blockchain-based filmmaking platform, Decentralized Pictures — an ambitious undertaking that the “French Dispatch” co-writer describes as “a very long-term endeavor.” While blockchain’s application in film financing has yielded mixed results over the years — many blockchain ventures that rocked up to Cannes years
Filmmaker Alberto Mielgo wore multiple hats including director, screenwriter, editor, sound design and music for “The Windshield Wiper,” screening in the Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. The animated short follows a middle-aged man who asks himself and the audience, what is love? Through vignettes, the man goes on a journey as he reaches
There were so many movie stars at the premiere of Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” on Monday night at the Cannes Film Festival, it almost felt like pre-pandemic times. The streets near the Palais were shut down. The crowds were screaming. And Timothee Chalamet, in a silver suit, cut through the July heat to sign
For years, Los Angelenos and others who subscribe to alerts from ticketing agents have had to deal with the false promise that the rock duo Sparks is coming to town, only to suffer the letdown, again and again, that it actually refers to an appearance by the WNBA team the Los Angeles Sparks. But, at
Disney will raise the monthly and annual fees for ESPN Plus, one of three different subscription-based streaming services it operates in the U.S., in a maneuver that signals how much the media industry is starting to depend on those direct-to-consumer outlets for new revenue. Starting on Aug. 13, the price of an ESPN Plus subscription
Composers Atli Örvarsson, Mark Mothersbaugh and Mark Isham led the list of winners announced Monday for the annual BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards, with the three scorers picking up six, five and four trophies, respectively. Örvarsson, the Icelandic composer, is now up to 29 BMI honors with the six he adds this week.
Paul Orndorff, the WWE Hall of Famer who fought in the first-ever WrestleMania, died on Monday. He was 71. His son, Travis Orndorff, revealed the news in an Instagram post. Last month, he said his father had CTE and was declining in health. “It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my
Play video content Drake Bell won’t be doing any time behind bars in his child endangerment case — a judge just announced his fate, and the actor ended up getting probation instead. The former Nickelodeon star was sentenced Monday in an Ohio court … receiving 2 years of probation — to be supervised in California,
The strikingly moving and sensationally acted “Mass,” with Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton, is ready to take on the upcoming awards season. The Sundance Film Festival hit will be released exclusively in theaters on Oct. 8, 2021, Variety has learned exclusively. In addition, all four actors will be campaigned in the supporting actor
This year’s American Music Awards show is looking at some big changes behind the scenes, as ABC and Dick Clark Productions are announcing that Jesse Collins — recently of the Grammys and Oscars — is taking over as showrunner and executive producer, starting with the telecast set for Nov. 21 of this year. Collins has
Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions, Skydance and Concord have teamed to develop TV projects based on the many musicals in Concord’s vault, including the Rodgers & Hammerstein catalog. The focus of the pact is on developing TV projects although some may wind up as films. “Musicals were a part of the tapestry of my childhood. We’re
Drake Bell has been sentenced to two years’ probation and 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to charges of attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. After initially pleading not guilty, the “Drake & Josh” star later pleaded guilty to a felony and misdemeanor charge relating to a 2017 incident with
All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. The Midsummer Classic is back this week. The MLB All-Star Game kicks off on Tuesday, July 13. The
“Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan will stay at Sony Pictures Television for another four years, signing an extension to his existing overall deal. Gilligan has been with Sony TV for more than 15 years. He will continue to serve as co-showrunner of “Better Call Saul” alongside co-creator Peter Gould for the
France president Emmanuel Macron has announced new health rules to contain the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. The country is currently hosting the Cannes Film Festival with several thousands of guests from all around the world. The key measure announced by Macron will make the EU Digital Covid Certificate — commonly called “health
MTV Documentary Films has set set July 30 as the theatrical release date for “Sabaya.” The documentary that generated strong reviews at Sundance this year follows the sexual exploitation of women in the Kurdish religious minority group of Yazidi. The title refers to the term used for individuals who are abducted and forced into sexual